MIRALAN PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A GELLER/GOLDFINE PRODUCTION
RISK, REWARD AND THE ORIGINAL VENTURE CAPITALISTS
WRITING THE CHECK IS THE EASY PART…
United States / 2011 / Documentary / English / 85 minutes
SALES CONTACT PRESS CONTACT Ben Crossley‐Mara Molly Davis Zeitgeist Films Miralan Productions [email protected] [email protected] 212‐274‐1989 925.296.6104 415‐845‐4305 (cell)
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
LOGLINE
Apple. Intel. Genentech. Cisco. Atari. SOMETHING VENTURED tells the story of a handful of risk‐takers who alongside visionary entrepreneurs created these revolutionary companies. In the process they ignited the industry known as venture capital.
SYNOPSIS
Conceived by co‐executive producer Paul Holland, SOMETHING VENTURED tells the story of the creation of an industry that went on to become the single greatest engine of innovation and economic growth in the 20th century. It is told by the visionary risk‐takers who dared to make it happen: Tom Perkins, Don Valentine, Arthur Rock, Dick Kramlich and others. The film also includes some of our finest entrepreneurs sharing how they worked with these venture capitalists to grow world‐class companies like Intel, Apple, Cisco, Atari, Genentech, Tandem and others.
Beginning in the late 1950's, this small group of high rollers fostered a one‐of‐a‐kind business culture that encouraged extraordinary risk and made possible unprecedented rewards. They laid the groundwork for America's start‐up economy, providing not just the capital but the guidance to allow seedling companies to reach their full potential. Our lives would be dramatically different without the contributions that these venture capitalists made to the creation of PCs, the Internet and life‐ saving drugs.
The film is directed by Emmy‐Award‐winning filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, the film will be widely released in 2011. It is executive produced by Paul Holland of Foundation Capital and Molly Davis of Rainmaker Communications.
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
PRODUCER’S STATEMENT
Three years ago, a fateful lunch took place at the Left Bank restaurant in Silicon Valley. Bill Edwards, one of the true founders of venture capital, shared with me the back‐story behind the early days at companies like Apple, Intel, Cisco and Tandem. Though I’d heard many of the tales before, it struck me that the original venture capitalists were now well into their 80’s and no single record of their accomplishments existed.
Thus the idea for SOMETHING VENTURED.
We wanted to document how this small group of individuals built an industry that would go on to finance nearly every major technology advancement over the past 50 years. These pioneers laid the groundwork for our start‐up economy, providing not just capital but guidance to help fledgling companies grow into global powerhouses. Our lives would be completely different without their contributions, from the PC and the Internet to life‐saving drugs. As Atari creator Nolan Bushnell says in the film, without venture capital, “the future wouldn’t happen nearly as quickly.”
The recent scandals in big business are unpardonable. But for every Bernie Madoff, Enron or Lehman Brothers, there are hundreds of companies getting it right and having a blast doing it. We wanted to offer a peek into a lighter, but equally dramatic, side of business— especially at this critical time when encouraging innovation is key to preserving our competitive edge.
The lives and contributions of these original venture capitalists are a source of inspiration—not just for entrepreneurs and investors, but for anyone who has a dream and the passion to pursue it no matter the odds.
—Paul Holland, Executive Producer
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
THE CHARACTERS
THE VENTURE CAPITALISTS
Arthur Rock Early investor in Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel, Apple and Teledyne
Tom Perkins Founder of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, early investor in companies like Genentech and Tandem
Don Valentine Founder of Sequoia Capital; early investor in companies like Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Electronic Arts and LSI Logic
Dick Kramlich Founder of New Enterprise Associates, investor in companies like PowerPoint, Juniper Networks, Macromedia and Dallas Semiconductor
Reid Dennis: Founder of Institutional Venture Partners
Bill Draper Founder of Sutter Hill Ventures; Founder of Draper Richards
Pitch Johnson Co‐founder of Draper and Johnson Investment; Founder of Asset Management Company
Bill Bowes Founder of US Venture Partners
Bill Edwards Founder of Bryan and Edwards
Jim Gaither One of the early developers of the venture financing structure still in use today
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
THE CHARACTERS
THE ENTREPRENEURS
Gordon Moore Founder of Intel; one of Fairchild Semiconductor’s “Traitorous Eight”
Jimmy Treybig Founder of Tandem
Nolan Bushnell Founder of Atari
Dr. Herbert Boyer Co‐founder of Genentech
Mike Markkula Early CEO of Apple
Sandy Lerner Co‐founder of Cisco
John Morgridge Early CEO of Cisco
Robert Campbell Founder of PowerPoint
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
SOMETHING VENTURED is directed by Emmy Award‐winning filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine. For more than 20 years, Emmy‐award winning directors/producers Dan and Dayna have jointly created critically acclaimed multi‐ character documentaries that cover such diverse topics as the arts, education, history and culture. Their documentaries have screened theatrically and been broadcast in the US and internationally. Their films have also been recognized at major festivals around the world, including Sundance, Toronto and Berlin.
In addition to SOMETHING VENTURED, Geller and Goldfine’s work includes Ballets Russes (2005) which was recognized as one of the top five documentaries of 2005 by both the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review and appeared on a dozen critical “10 Best Films” lists, including those of Time Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Hollywood Reporter, the San Francisco Chronicle and Slate; Now and Then: From Frosh to Seniors, which premiered theatrically in 1999 and aired on PBS; Kids of Survival: The Art and Life of Tim Rollins +K.O.S. (1996) which aired on Cinemax and was the recipient of two national Emmy Awards; FROSH, Nine Months in a Freshman Dorm (1994); and the award‐winning Isadora Duncan: Movement from the Soul (1988).
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
ABOUT THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Paul Holland is General Partner of Foundation Capital, a leading venture capital firm, where he leads the firm's CleanTech investment practice. Previously, Paul served as SVP of Worldwide Sales at Kana Communications. Before Kana, Paul was a VP and general manager for Pure Software, where he helped grow the company's market value to over $1 billion. Paul is past president of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and remains a member of its board of directors.
Molly Davis is a founding partner of Rainmaker Communications, a Silicon Valley marketing consulting firm. For almost 20 years, Molly has worked with technology companies— from startups to global industry leaders. She has also counseled venture capital firms, investment banks and strategy consulting firms.
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Executive Produced by Paul Holland and Molly Davis
Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller
Produced by Dayna Goldfine, Dan Geller and Celeste Schaefer Snyder
Edited By Jen Bradwell and Gary Weimberg
Original Music By Laura Karpman
Narrated by Po Bronson
Cinematography Dan Geller
Sound by Richard Beggs
www.somethingventuredthemovie.com